Let her Go
by Sportsfan64
Summary: Steve Rogers is the world's authority of waiting too long. He's fallen for a certain red headed spy but unfortunately for him, he's a little too late and now someone else has captured her heart and he's left to deal with reality. He has to let her go. One


**Disclaimer:** Avengers; Age of Ultron is owned by Marvel Studios, Paramount Studios, and Walt Disney. The song Let her go is owned by The Passenger. This story is purely for entertainment. No money was made in writing this story. No copyright infringement intended

 **Summary** : Steve Rogers is the world's authority of waiting too long. He's fallen for a certain red headed spy but unfortunately for him, he's a little too late and now someone else has captured her heart and he's left to deal with reality. He has to let her go

 **Let Her Go**

 _Well you only need the light when it's burning low_

 _Only miss the sun when it starts to snow_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

He was standing at the New Avengers facility and reminiscing about how his life have changed since being just a skinny kid from Brooklyn to being Captain America.

 _Only know you've been high when you're feeling low_

 _Only hate the road when you're missin' home_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

 _And you let her go_

Before he became Captain America, Steve Rogers was just a sickly skinny kid who got constantly picked on the bullies and even though he knows he's heavily outmatched he still fought them because he doesn't like bullies and he doesn't like seeing other people get bullied too so he signed up in the army because he wanted to make a difference and to fight for "the little guys" , of course due to health issues he was turned away at every opportunity despite trying to change his alias; but no matter what he refused to give up and thanks to Dr. Abraham Erksine and Howard Stark he became the embodiment of the perfect soldier. However despite this, Erksine reminded Steve to stay true to who he is and not to let his ability turn him into something different

" _The serum improvised everything in the inside so good becomes great, bad becomes worse this is why you were chosen because a strong man who has known power all his life will lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of the strength and has compassion."_

" _Thanks I think."_

" _Whatever happens tomorrow you must promise me one thing; that you will stay who you are, not a perfect soldier but a good man."_

Steve took those words to heart and even when he became the symbol of freedom and became the perfect soldier, he never lost sight of himself and he remained a good and noble person, not only through his words but also through his actions.

 _Staring at the bottom of your glass_

 _Hoping one day you'll make a dream last_

 _But dreams come slow and they go fast_

The only other thing that hasn't change since his transformation is his luck with the ladies; sure there's a few girls that caught his attention during his days in the USO tours but none of them were the right partners and he never thought he'd find one until he fell for Agent Margaret "Peggy" Carter. She was a tough, independent, smart and beautiful woman who believed in him when he was just the punk from Brooklyn and she helped him believe he was meant for more than the task he was given and with her belief in him; combined with his determination he was able to lead the Howling Commandos into the battlefield. Steve and Peggy had danced around each other and though they shared one kiss, they never really acted on their developing feelings for each other until it was too late.

 _You see her when you close your eyes_

 _Maybe one day you'll understand why_

 _Everything you touch surely dies_

The soldier was fighting the Red Skull and he just defeated him and was flying the plane when he realized the only safe way to land the aircraft without harming the citizens of New York is by crashing the plane to the water

" _This is Captain Rogers can anyone hear me?" he asked the communications control room when Peggy answered_

" _Steve is that you? Are you alright?"_

" _Shmidt's dead"_

" _What about the plane"_

" _That's a little tougher to explain"_

" _Give me your coordinates, I'll find you a safe landing site."_

" _There's not going to be a safe landing, but I can try and force it down"_

" _I'll get Howard, he'll know what to do"_

" _There's not enough time, this thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York." Steve looked at the window before realizing what he had to do_

" _I have to put her in the water"  
"Please don't do this, we have time we can work it out"_

" _Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere, if I wait any longer a lot of people are going to die. Peggy… this is my choice." He opened his compass that had her picture while there were tears in her eyes and the sound of the engine indicating he's about to crash the plane_

" _Peggy, I'm going to need a rain check on that dance."_

" _Alright, a week on Saturday at the Stork club"_

" _Alright, I got it"_

" _And don't you dare be late"_

 _But you only need the light when it's burning low_

 _Only miss the sun when it starts to snow_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

 _Only know you've been high when you're feeling low_

 _Only hate the road when you're missin' home_

 _Only love her when you let her go_

He's made his choice and he chose the safety of others before his own happiness with the full knowledge that he might not get a chance to be with her and start a life with her. Of course after seventy years of being frozen he was finally thawed out of the ice by Shield led by Nick Fury who revealed to him that he woke up to a new world and Steve was effectively named the leader of the Avengers

 _Staring at the ceiling in the dark_

 _Same old empty feeling in your heart_

' _Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast_

 _Well you see her when you fall asleep_

 _But never too touch and never to keep_

' _Cause you loved her too much_

 _And you dived too deep_

That's when he met the one and only Natasha Romanoff on the helicarrier and he instantly found her attractive. Of course at the time he didn't know much about her except that she's Russian and was a former spy that used to work for an organization called the Red Room who turned her into the deadly infamous assassin the Black Widow. During Loki's attack on New York the soldier reminisced when she told him she needed a boost in order to help fight the trickster's army

" _You sure about this?"_

" _Yeah it will be fun" she remarked before launching herself off his shield and attacking one of the enemies._

 _Well you only need the light when it's burning low_

 _Only miss the sun when it starts to snow_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

 _Only know you've been high when it's burning low_

 _Only hate the road when you're missin' home_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

In the aftermath of the battle of New York, Clint Barton requested some time off from Shield because he wanted to spend time with his family and he was also trying to clear his mind from the effects of being mind-controlled by Loki. This caused Nick Fury to assign Steve as Natasha's new partner and the pair was initially apprehensive at first but they became quite a dynamic duo and the director of Shield sent them on many missions together, the soldier and the spy's chemistry grew and they've learned to trust each other.

 _And you let her go (Oh, oh, ooh, oh no)_

 _And you let her go (Oh, oh, ooh, oh no)_

 _Will you let her go?_

During the events of the Winter Solider and the fall out of Shield Natasha showed him a side of her that he never thought she would, her vulnerable side. The spy asked him if he would trust her with his life despite the lie she told him and he answered her truthfully

" _If it was the other way around and it was down to me to save your life and you be honest with me, will you trust me to do it?"_

" _I would now and I'm always honest."_

Steve also remembered when he and Natasha were being followed by Rumlow and other rogue agents and she told him to kiss her and he was confused and she told him that public displays of affection made people uncomfortable.

" _Kiss me"_

" _What?"_

" _Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable"_

" _Yes they do" She then kissed him on the lips and he returned it before she pulled away_

" _Still uncomfortable?"_

" _That's not exactly the word I would use"_ he remarked and the kiss felt good and as they grew closer, he started to develop real feelings for the spy and he once again felt that he finally found the right partner but just like with Peggy, it was a case of falling for the right person at the wrong time

" _That thing you asked for, called in a few favors from Kiev. Can you do me a favor, call that nurse."_

" _She's not a nurse."_

" _And you're not a Shield agent"_

" _What was her name again?"_

" _Sharon… she's nice"_ Natasha gave a small smile and they didn't say anything, she looked like she wanted to kiss him on the lips and he was honestly waiting for it when she settled for kissing him on the cheek instead. Steve saw her walk away from his life and he so badly wanted for her to stay but he knew she wanted her space so he let her leave and walk away.

' _Cause you only need the light when it's burning low_

 _Only miss the sun when it starts to snow_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

Steve then let his eyes wander to the courtyard where he's trained his eyes for the past half hour or so. Standing there was the love of his life Natasha Romanoff, to Steve he's never seen anyone looked more beautiful than the red headed spy and she looked more relax and happier than she's ever been and Steve knows the sole reason for her happiness. Sadly for him, that person was not him but the person standing next to her and Steve could see how happy she was with said person.

Standing next to her was Bruce Banner, the reason for her happiness. They were talking, and he was making her laugh. The soldier could tell that when she flirted with Bruce at Tony's party that she was attracted to Bruce and that he felt the same way about Natasha but was too shy to do anything and he didn't know how to react to her advances so Steve did what any good friend would do, he gave Bruce advice no matter how much it hurt him because he wanted his friends to be happy.

" _Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on waiting too long… don't. You both deserve a win"_

After the battle with Ultron, Bruce landed on the helicarrier where Natasha was waiting for him and once again things changed.

Natasha and Bruce didn't jump into a relationship but it was obvious that something happened between them. They began to spend more alone time together, there was more lingering looks and more intimate exchanges. It was as close to two people to having a relationship without actually being in one. Steve pondered the reason why they haven't started a relationship until he realized what prevented Bruce and Natasha from jumping into one. The soldier realized that he's essentially the reason why the two are not together yet, that's when he made the decision that he has to leave and once again sacrifice his own happiness for someone else's but Steve loves Natasha and he's willing to do anything to make her happy and have her chance of happiness and to him, she's worth making that sacrifice. Any remaining doubts he had were gone the moment he remembered how Natasha's eyes lit up when she saw Bruce return for her and the way she always looks happy around him.

 _Only know you've been high when you're feeling low_

 _Only hate the road when you're missing home_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

' _Cause you only need the light when it's burning low_

 _Only hate the sun when it starts to snow_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

* * *

"Hey Captain Spangles, I've been looking for you." Tony announced as he walked in. The billionaire retired but he would do the occasional visit. Even though he would never admit it, everyone knew he missed his other family especially Steve "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing's bothering me." Despite his answer he can't look away from Bruce and Natasha.

"I definitely know something's bothering you the minute I walked in here. What is it?" Without waiting for him to answer, Tony looked at his eyes and followed his gaze. "Bruce and Natasha?"

When Steve didn't say anything Tony knew he was right on the money and he instantly knew what was on friend's mind.

"What did they do to you?" he asked

"It's not so much of what they did, but what I didn't do" he whispered and Tony almost didn't hear him

"What happened?"

"I missed my chance with her. I told Bruce to go for her because I was afraid she'd reject me if I told her how I felt and I thought and hoped my feelings for her would go away, if I saw her happy with him but it only made it worse and now I can't take it anymore so there's only one thing left for me to do."

"What is it?" Tony asked and Steve gave his friend a sad smile

"I'm leaving and…I'm not coming back" he replied slowly.

"Why?"

"Because when you love someone, you have to let them go"

"Well Steve, if that's what you feel you should do then I support you. Here." Tony said handing Steve something

"What's this?"

"It's a tracking device, just in case there's any major problems you encounter; just press that button and I'll rescue you. Like you said before we're a team Steve. We're in this together." Tony explained

"Thanks, I will miss you Tony."

"I'm here for you buddy." Tony replied and patted Steve on the back and walked out. Steve knew that was about as close as Tony will say he'll miss Steve too.

* * *

Steve was now gathering his things and supplies he might need on the road. It took some time to convince Hill and Fury to let him leave, but they finally agreed when he said he'll be there when they really need him.

He continued to pack until he heard someone come in

"Hey soldier we're having team bonding you want to join us?" Natasha asked playfully but her smile faltered when she saw his duffel bag

"Where are you going?" she asked, fearing the worst

"I'm leaving."

"How long are you going to be gone?"  
"I… I don't think I'm coming back Nat."

"What about us?"

"What do you mean?"

"Steve other than Clint, you're my best friend and I can't lose you. I don't know where I'll be without you." She proclaimed, voice sounding broken.

Steve sighed and closed his eyes as he said the next words from his mouth.

"You'll be okay Nat. You have the team with you and I can see how happy you and Bruce can make each other and I feel like I'm holding you two back from reaching true happiness and I can't do that Nat, you're a beautiful and a special woman. You don't need me."

"Will I be able to convince you to stay?" She was almost begging him to stay. The soldier could feel his resolve crumbling but he needed to be strong not only for her, but himself. He's always put other's happiness before his own and he wasn't going to stop now.

"I don't think so, I love you Nat and because I love you I have to let you go. I wish things were different. I'm sorry that it had to end this way." He murmured.

"I loved you too Steve. You were my wish upon a star." Natasha responded. with tears in her eyes.

Steve was surprised by her response; while he knew that Natasha felt something for him too, he never knew that her feelings for him ran that deep. He certainly wasn't expecting her to call him her 'wish upon a star. The realization that she felt the same about him breaks his heart a little more and makes what he's about to do harder for him.

Natasha lunged herself at him and rushed into his arms. This was a much harder goodbye because unlike in the cemetery, this time she knows he'll probably never come back. Steve dropped his stuff and embraced her

"Steve I need you here with me. Please stay." She buried her face in his chest and he pulled away far enough so she could look into his eyes while they were locked into her beautiful green eyes,

"I have to leave before I change my mind. Natasha… this is my choice." He said with the same tone of finality he used when he told Peggy he had to crash the plane. After a few seconds she nodded and he gave her a loving kiss on the forehead. Then he was on his way out

"Steve!" He turned to Natasha but did not move from the open door. "I want you to promise me that no matter what happens that you'll keep looking for the right partner."

Steve then gave her one last nod before turning and walked out the door. He shut his eyes so the tears in eyes won't fall. He had done it again, making the sacrifice play and he put others before himself once more. He stayed true to who he is, not a perfect soldier but a good man. He let go of the love of his life because he just wants her to be happy even if he's not part of her happiness.

 _Only know you've been high when you're feeling low_

 _Only hate the road when you're missin' home_

 _Only know you love her when you let her go_

 _And you let her go_

 **A/N. The song used for this one shot is called Let her Go by passenger. As a Romanogers fan writing this one-shot for my first angst was killing me inside and it was painful to write lol. Hopefully you enjoyed it and this might sound mean but I hope a few of few finish reading this one-shot with tears in your eyes. I want to credit LittleSass' story Doesn't Matter for serving as inspiration for this one-shot. This has been Sportsfan64 signing out**

 **P.S. This story was published by me a while back so if you've read the story before which I know some of you have, I just made minor changes and added a few things that I felt would make the story better so hopefully I didn't waste your time if you read this story before lol.**


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